Last time we had 3 returning starters on offense, and less than 5 returning starters on defense, and a new defensive coordinator, and a tough schedule?…
1987 STARTERS vs. 1988 STARTERS
OFFENSE
1987
1988
QB
Tony Rice
Tony Rice
RB
Mark Green
Mark Green
FB
Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson
SE
Reggie Ward
Raghib Ismail
FL
Tim Brown
Ricky Watters
TE
Andy Heck
Derek Brown
LT
Tom Rehder
Andy Heck
LG
Tom Freeman
Tim Grunhard
C
Chuck Lanza
Mike Heldt
RG
Jeff Pearson
Tim Ryan
RT
Byron Spruell
Dean Brown
DEFENSE
LT
Tom Gorman
George Williams
NT
Mike Griffin
Chris Zorich
RT
Jeff Kurz
Jeff Alm
+OLB/DE
Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon
+ILB/MLB
Wes Pritchett
Wes Pritchett
ILB/ELB
Ned Bolcar
Mike Stonebreaker
OLB/DE
Cedric Figaro
Frank Stams
LCB/FCB
Marv Spence
Todd Lyght
RCB/SCB
Stan Smagala
Stan Smagala
SS
George Streeter
George Streeter
FS
Brandy Wells
Pat Terrell
2006 STARTERS vs. 2007 PROBABLE STARTERS
OFFENSE
2006
2007 Probable Starters
QB
Brady Quinn
Evan Sharpley
RB
Darius Walker
Travis Thomas
FB
Asaph Schwapp
Asaph Schwapp
WR
Rhema McKnight
David Grimes
WR
Jeff Samardzija
George West
TE
John Carlson
John Carlson
LT
Ryan Harris
Paul Duncan
LG
Dan Santucci
Mike Turkovich
C
John Sullivan
John Sullivan
RG
Bob Morton
Dan Wenger
RT
Sam Young
Sam Young
DEFENSE
DE
Victor Abiamiri
Justin Brown
DT/NT
Derek Landri
atrick Kuntz
DT/DE
Trevor Laws
Trevor Laws
DE/OLB
Chris Frome
John Ryan
+ILB
Maurice Crum
Maurice Crum
OLB/ILB
Joe Brockington
Toryan Smith
OLB
Travis Thomas
Morrice Richardson
CB
Mike Richardson
Ambrose Wooden
+CB
Terrail Lambert
Terrail Lambert
+S
Tom Zbikowski
Tom Zbikowski
S
Chinedum Ndukwe
David Bruton
II. Tough Schedule?
1988 IRISH OPPONENTS
1987 record
1988 record
Michigan
8-4
9-2-1
*Michigan State
9-2-1
6-5-1
Purdue
3-7
4-7
Stanford
5-6
3-6-2
*Pittsburgh
8-4
6-5
Miami
12-0
11-1
*Air Force
9-4
5-7
Navy
2-9
3-8
Rice
2-9
0-11
*Penn State
8-4
5-6
Southern Cal
10-2
9-2-1
West Virginia
6-6
11-1
2007 IRISH OPPONENTS
2006 record
Georgia Tech
9-5
Penn State
9-4
Michigan
11-2
Michigan State
4-8
Purdue
8-6
UCLA
7-6
Boston College
10-3
Southern Cal
11-2
Navy
9-4
Air Force
4-8
Duke
0-12
Stanford
1-11
In 1988, the Irish faced eight teams that had at least 8 wins in 1987. Four of them in the first six games. However, a few* of them ended up not nearly as strong as they were in 1987.
In 2007, the Irish will face seven teams that had at least 8 wins in 2006. Four of them in the first six games.
